Dar es Salaam. International human rights organisations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have acknowledged that their reports on alleged human rights violations surrounding Tanzania’s General Election on 29 October 2025 did not fully capture all relevant perspectives, particularly those of the government and its institutions.
The acknowledgement emerged during a side event held on March 12, 2026, on the margins of the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, according to a statement that was availed to the media in Dar es Salaam on Friday.
The session was organised by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and moderated by Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Lucy MacKernan.
Participants included representatives from United Nations member states, the European Union, international non-governmental organisations and various human rights experts who discussed events surrounding 2025 Tanzanian general election.
During the discussions, it was indicated that the reports presented on Tanzania relied largely on interviews, documents and other materials reflecting one side of the events under review.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Gina Romero said several methods were used in compiling the findings, including interviews and reviews of existing reports before the conclusions were published.
Presentations during the session were delivered by Senior Researcher for Africa at Human Rights Watch, Oryem Nyeko; a lawyer at the Centre for Strategic Litigation, Tito Magoti and a researcher at Amnesty International, Sikula Oniala.
The speakers outlined issues they had identified regarding unrest linked to the October 2025 elections, largely reflecting positions contained in earlier reports by the two organisations.
However, discussions that followed revealed that the organisations had not conducted substantive engagement with respondents to the allegations—namely the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and its institutions—before finalising their reports.
It was explained that although letters requesting interviews had been sent, responses were delayed and the reports were therefore prepared and released without fully incorporating the government’s perspective.
Several participants, including representatives from Zimbabwe and Germany, raised concerns over reliance on reports that did not reflect the views of all relevant parties.
In their interventions, they emphasised the importance of awaiting findings from a Commission of Inquiry established by the President of Tanzania, which is currently engaging a wide range of stakeholders and receiving evidence, views and recommendations through multiple channels, including online submissions.
Participants also discussed the broader context of the incidents, including risks of property destruction and loss of life during the unrest.
It was noted that governments have a responsibility to take lawful measures to restore order and protect citizens and property in such circumstances. At the same time, contributors stressed that accountability should apply to all parties, including individuals inside and outside Tanzania who used inflammatory language before and after the elections.
The representative from Germany also cautioned that actors promoting inflammatory rhetoric in East African countries—including Uganda and Kenya—should be closely monitored ahead of 2027 Kenyangeneral election to prevent situations that could threaten peace and stability in the region.
The discussion underscored the importance of ensuring investigative reports incorporate perspectives from all relevant parties in order to enhance balance, factual accuracy and credibility.
Authorities in Tanzania continue to emphasise the need for due process, balanced inquiry and evidence-based accountability, with the broader objective of safeguarding peace, stability and the rule of law.
